The SLP Book Club

This week, we’re wrapping up our deep dive into The Secondary SLP Roadmap by covering Chapters 13, 14, and the conclusion. We’re talking all about what it really looks like to target articulation and social skills with secondary students, especially when time is limited and goals need to feel functional and relevant. We also dive into one of the most important (and often overlooked) areas in secon...

In this week’s episode, we’re diving into Chapters 11 and 12 of The Secondary SLP Roadmap , where we tackle two major pain points for secondary SLPs: overcomplicated materials and the challenge of mixed groups. We talk about how to adapt what you already have so you can use fewer resources without sacrificing effectiveness, and how simplifying your approach can actually lead to better student enga...

In this episode, we’re diving into Chapters 9 and 10 of The Secondary SLP Roadmap , all about work life balance and planning without relying on a traditional curriculum. We talk about how to move away from the pressure to constantly prep and instead create sessions that are functional, flexible, and sustainable. This conversation is especially for SLPs who feel overwhelmed, behind, or like they’re...

In this episode, we’re diving into Chapters 7 and 8 of The Secondary SLP Roadmap , all about building rapport and creating effective routines. We talk about what rapport actually looks like with middle and high school students and how to build real connection without it feeling forced, then shift into how clear routines and expectations can make sessions run so much more smoothly. If your sessions...

In this episode, we discuss Chapters 5 and 6 of  The Secondary SLP Roadmap  by Hallie Sherman, which focus on connection over data collection and the importance of incorporating students’ interests into therapy. We talk about why building trust and rapport with secondary students is such an important part of meaningful intervention and how relationships can support engagement and progres...

In this episode, we discuss Chapter 4 of The Secondary SLP Roadmap by Hallie Sherman, which focuses on practical strategies for working with middle and high school students. We talk about how therapy with secondary students often looks different from elementary speech therapy and why choosing strategies that support real classroom demands is so important. This chapter highlights approaches that he...

In this episode we discuss chapter three of The Secondary SLP Roadmap by Hallie Sherman, which focuses on where to start when working with secondary students and how to set meaningful therapy goals. We talk about how shifting toward functional, real world communication goals can help therapy feel more relevant for middle and high school students. This chapter encourages SLPs to look at the bigger...

We're finally back with a new book! In this episode, we kick off our discussion of The Secondary SLP Road Map by Hallie Sherman, starting with the introduction and first two chapters. We talk about the unique role of the secondary school SLP, including the shift from early language development to supporting academic, social, and functional communication skills for older students. We also explore c...

This week we're reading Chapter Ten from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "Trustful Parenting in Our Modern World." In this chapter, Gray explores what it means to practice trustful parenting in today’s world. He describes how trusting children’s natural abilities to learn and grow (rather than controlling or over-directing them) creates space for independence, confidence, and responsibility. We discu...

This week we're reading Chapter Nine from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "Free Age Mixing: A Key Ingredient for Children's Capacity for Self-Education." In this chapter, Gray focuses on the unique value of age-mixed play, where younger and older children learn together. He shows how younger kids benefit from observing and modeling older peers, while older children gain patience, empathy, and leaders...

This week we're reading Chapter Eight from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "The Role of Play in Social and Emotional Development." In this chapter, Gray explains how play is essential for children’s social and emotional development. Through play, kids practice cooperation, negotiation, empathy, and conflict resolution in ways that can’t be taught through direct instruction. We discuss how these exper...

This week we're reading Chapter Seven from Free to Learn by Peter Gray. In this chapter, Gray explores the “playful state of mind,” showing how play supports creativity, flexibility, and resilience in learning. He explains that play isn’t just an activity but a mindset where mistakes become opportunities and curiosity leads the way. We talk about how this state helps children take risks, problem-s...

This week we're reading Chapter Six from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "The Human Educative Instincts." In this chapter, Gray explains that humans are born with powerful instincts that drive learning, including curiosity, play, and sociability. He shows how these natural tendencies have been essential for survival throughout history, helping children acquire the knowledge and skills of their commun...

This week we're reading Chapter Five from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "Lessons from Sudbury Valley: Mother Nature Can Prevail in Modern Times." In this chapter, Gray shares insights from the Sudbury Valley School, a self-directed learning environment where students choose how to spend their time. He describes how, even without traditional classes or grades, children naturally develop critical ski...

This week we're reading Chapter Four from Free to Learn by Peter Gray. In this chapter, Gray lays out what he calls the “seven sins” of our current education system, each one showing how forced schooling undermines children’s natural drives to learn. He critiques practices such as coercing children to work, segregating them by age, judging them through constant testing, and replacing curiosity wit...

This week we're reading Chapter Three from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "Why Schools Are What They Are: A Brief History of Education." In this chapter, Gray traces the history of formal education and explains how schools developed to meet the needs of agricultural and industrial societies rather than children’s natural ways of learning. He shows how early schools emphasized obedience, memorization...

This week we're reading Chapter Two from Free to Learn by Peter Gray, "The Play-Filled Lives of Hunter-Gatherer Children." In this chapter, Peter Gray describes the play-filled lives of hunter gatherer children, using the story of Kwi, an eleven-year-old Ju/’hoansi boy from the Kalahari, to illustrate his points. In these societies, children grow up without formal schooling and instead learn throu...

New book alert! For the next couple months, we're reading Free to Learn by Peter Gray. We kick off this week with the Prologue and Chapter One. In the Prologue, Gray introduces his concern that modern schooling suppresses children's natural curiosity, playfulness, and drive to learn. He explains that his perspective shifted dramatically after witnessing how his own son thrived in a self-directed l...

This week we're wrapping up The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In Chapter 12, titled "What Parents Can Do Now," Haidt contrasts the controlling "carpenter" parenting approach with a "gardener" mindset that fosters children’s natural development through a nurturing environment. For young children (ages 0-5), he recommends prioritizing interactive real-world play with diverse age groups and l...

This week we're covering chapter 11 from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "What Schools Can Do Now." In this chapter, Haidt outlines actionable steps schools can take to address the mental health crisis among youth caused by the shift to a phone-based childhood. He strongly advocates for phone-free schools, recommending the use of phone lockers to eliminate distractions and foster face-to...

This week we're covering chapters nine and ten from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In chapter nine, "Preparing for Collective Action," Haidt emphasizes the urgent need for societal cooperation to address the mental health crisis caused by the phone-based childhood. He proposes four types of collective responses: voluntary coordination, shifting social norms, technological solutions, and...

This week we're covering chapter eight, "Spiritual Elevation and Degradation" from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In this chapter, Haidt explores how the decline of spiritual and communal practices has impacted the mental health of young people in the digital age. He argues that humans have a natural inclination toward spiritual experiences, which historically provided meaning, connecti...

This week we're covering chapter seven, "What is Happening to Boys?" from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. In this chapter, Haidt examines the mental health crisis affecting boys, driven by the shift to a phone-based childhood. Since the early 2010s, boys have experienced rising depression and anxiety, though less severely than girls, alongside a long-term decline in school engagement and...

This week we're covering chapter six from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "Why Social Media Harms Girls More." In this chapter, Jonathan Haidt explores the disproportionate negative impact of social media on girls' mental health. He argues that girls are more vulnerable to social media's effects due to their heightened sensitivity to social comparison and relational aggression. The chapt...

This week we're covering chapter five from The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, "The Four Foundational Harms." In this chapter, Jonathan Haidt outlines four foundational harms of the phone-based childhood: social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction. He argues that excessive smartphone use reduces face-to-face interactions, critical for social development, le...